Cinderella Man

During the Great Depression, an everyday common-man hero, James J. Braddock was to become one of the most surprising sports legends in history. With the Depression going strong in the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-boxer was seemingly as broken-down and out-of-luck as the rest of the America. Driven by love and determination, he returned to the ring. He did not have much of a shot, but James was fueled by something beyond mere competition. He kept winning and suddenly, the ordinary working man became an icon who carried the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised on his shoulders. Eventually, he rose through the ranks and went on to fight the heavyweight champ, the unstoppable Max Baer.

Comment

A thoroughly rousing & completely engrossing tale of one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history. The story is truly fantastic & the masterful film making leading up to and taking us to the big fight is inspiring film making to be sure. What's a boxing film without great fight scenes & the fight scenes here are really something special, beautifully shot, directed & edited. A real great piece of film making.
Russel Crowe plays a nice guy through all of his & his families harrowing challenges. A unique charcter wonderfully portrayed by Crowe. Renee Zellweger really shows just how fine of an actor she really is playing Crowe's characters wife, a very memorable performance. Like all great films all the multitude of parts really have come together to deliver a very fine film.

One of the very best boxing films out there. A story of survival and the triumph of the human spirit. A rousing story that will have you on a high after viewing this one.

Very touching movie, made me cry at the end. It shows the true compassion of what a man will do for his family and how the most inportant thing is life is Family. He was fighting for the title championship for food for his 3 kids!! You cannot get any more real and honest then that.

lasertravis
May 31, 2012

This is just a great movie. Yes, it's a sports movie. Yes, it's a boxing movie. Yes, it's a true story about an underdog winning boxing movie. With just that stuff going for it, I would likely have enjoyed the movie. This movie had so much more depth to it, I loved it. Very well acted, and good as a period piece (depression era looked perfect), it was the story of family and overcoming the many struggles that had nothing to do with boxing that endeared this movie to me. The movie really didn't have any real weak points, and didn't seem overlong, even at a hefty run time. Uplifting.

Played as cash-vending gladiator for match-makers, expendable for the biggest bidder, condemned to destitution & cornered to lose his family & every honor he holds dear to his heart, the man needed one more chance to save & keep his family together.
The growing old former champion, desperate crusade to save & keep his family together proves, will power & determination can drive a man to REGAIN his crown as a champion, again.